Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or any of the X-men. The same can be said of the wonderful world of J.K. Rowling. I am not making any profit, but simply having fun. I did however create Emma Winter.
It was finally early June, and the exams were over at Xavier's. Emma was tired as the morning sickness had been hard on her as if the little one wanted to let her mother know that she was well. The witch was happy beyond measure and looked forward to leaving soon for a large forest where she would wake up to birdsong every morning. Logan had been busy as well; he had bought a huge pickup truck that would serve them well when they would get to their land. After a long negotiation, the mutant had finally relented and agreed to Emma disapparating them and their things up to Canada as she did not look forward to a long road trip.
Logan had finally visited Hogsmeade village with his mate and they had a merry meeting with the trio who were curious about meeting the mutant that had managed to capture Emma's heart. When they met the large feral they were stunned to see how gentle and loving he was to his pregnant wife, it had not occurred to them that their friend would have blossomed so by falling in love with Logan but Emma had blossomed in the year she had been away from Hogwarts. Logan liked the trio, especially Hermoine Granger who seemed to have so many things in common with Emma. It was clear that the two witches had missed each other greatly if the hugs and the tears at the end of the meeting was any indication.
Later Emma and Logan had met her beloved Dumbledore and a few of the faculty who came to wish them well for the future. Madame Pomfrey had offered to come to assist when Emma would give birth and the young witch was relieved. After worrying if she would have to go through the birth in the woods, it was comforting to know that the mediwitch would come and assist her. Minerva and Logan seemed to have a surprising understanding between them, a bond that was forged when they had met at Xavier's. The old witch liked the mutant, and how he expressed his love for Emma in a surprisingly gentle way. The magical society had always had a bit of a stiff upper lip when it came to showing affection for others, but Logan had no problem kissing his wife in front of others.
Emma sighed and stroked her bump happily, everything was packed. They were ready, only two days to go before they could head off to Canada. Ororo had some small feast prepared at noon on Friday when the school would officially end, and the witch knew there would be a little farewell party mixed with that. After that Logan and Emma could finally focus on their happy ending.
Xavier called Emma and Logan to their office early Thursday morning. The professor looked worried as he stared at the couple deep in thought. He hadn't wanted to bring up the subject and had tried to postpone it until after Logan and Emma would be gone. However, things were quickly changing and needed resolution right away.
"I brought you here because the X-men are in a bit of a bind and we need your assistance Logan," Xavier said, his blue eyes giving nothing away.
"We are leaving tomorrow," Logan said quickly, and the witch nodded in agreement behind him.
"The mission should be over by tonight and you would be doing us an immense favour if you would go," Xavier said, "You will still leave tomorrow, I give you my word."
"What's the mission?" Emma asked curiously and wondered what was so important that Xavier would use the last moments that Logan was part of the X-men to ask him to join a mission.
"We have tracked where Magneto is hiding, and we need to leave as soon as possible to catch him," Xavier said and saw the thunderous look that Logan gave him.
"Magneto? I'm in," Logan said quickly. There was no hiding the fact that the feral had detested Magneto ever since Liberty Island. The things Magneto had done to Rogue were inexcusable to Logan and the feral was itching for revenge.
"Are you sure you wish to go?" Emma asked quietly, she had been looking forward to a quiet evening with her husband before they would leave the following day.
Logan nodded quickly, "if we might have a chance to have Magneto locked away, then I'm all for it darlin'."
The witch nodded in agreement, "very well, when will the X-men go?"
"In half an hour, the others are already getting ready at the lower level," Xavier said before adding, "I would invite you to join them if you weren't pregnant. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Thank you, professor, but I am perfectly fine with never joining any missions again. I wish to live the rest of my life in peace," Emma said and Xavier laughed loudly as if she had told him the best joke he had ever heard in his life.
"And therefore you chose a feral mutant as your husband, for the peace," Xavier said teasingly and Logan grinned at his wife.
"Different type of peace Charles," Emma drawled, and the two men chuckled knowing there would never be a perfect peace around Logan due to his nature. However, it was easier for him to control the feral side by living in a remote location and away from other mutants.
"Thank you for helping us out Logan, please head down where the other X-men are waiting for you," Xavier said, and Logan nodded quickly feeling a rush of excitement. It would be good to go on one last hunt before leaving with Emma. The mutant stood up and kissed his wife softly on the lips before stroking her ever-growing belly with affection, "I'll see you both later tonight."
"Tonight," Emma murmured and watched her husband stride out of Xavier's office.
Shortly after dinner, the Bird landed back at the mansion and the witch was relieved to see them returning so quickly. There was no question that Magneto was dangerous and seeing her friends arrive so quickly gave her hope that all had been well with the mission.
When Emma hadn't seen anyone for an hour after they returned the witch decided to go down to the lower level of the mansion. She was concerned as usually Logan was the first one to come up to greet her after the mission but this time she hadn't heard or seen her husband.
"Hi Emma, I was just about to get you," Ororo greeted her hurriedly in the hallway. The goddess of weather looked like she had been crying and Emma's heart squeezed uncomfortably in her chest. Something terrible had happened, that was clear by how her friend's heartbroken gaze.
"Ororo, what's going on? I haven't seen anyone upstairs and it's been an hour since you returned."
"Magneto got away, but not before Logan got injured."
Emma's eyes got impossibly wide, no one ever commented on logan getting injured as his regenerative powers always took care of any injury that he received. It had to be something different by the way Ororo spoke about it.
"What do you mean injured," Emma asked hoarsely, her hands automatically cradling her bump as if to reassure the baby that all was well with her father.
The witch understood that something serious had happened to her husband and Ororo looked defeated at the alarm in the young woman's voice before answering, "We were attacked by the house and it was Magneto and his goons. Mystique shot Logan with something. He fell unconscious and we can't wake him up."
"What? He's invincible; he has regenerative powers," Emma said her eyes filled with unshed tears while trying to understand what Ororo had told her.
"Mystique managed to find a loophole in Logan's invincibility. She used some sort of poison but we don't know with what because they all disappeared before we got them. Please come with me to the infirmary," Ororo said and walked quickly with the witch towards where her husband was.
"Mystique?" Emma remembered that Logan had talked about meeting her when looking for Victor up in Canada. She was a cunning mutant that went ruthlessly after what she wanted, no matter the consequences.
"I need to see Logan," Emma said quickly and Ororo nodded, "of course, just be prepared that he's unconscious and that the situation looks bad."
Ororo let Emma into the infirmary, and then the goddess of weather left to inform Xavier of what had happened since they had arrived at the mansion. The witch went on shaky legs into the infirmary where Hank was busy doing tests on Logan. On a bed not far away was Logan who was unconscious just like Ororo had said he would be.
"Hank," Emma greeted the doctor, but her eyes were glued on her husband.
"Emma, I sent Ororo up to fetch you," Hank said warmly but there was no hiding the deep concern in his eyes. Things were not going the way he would have hoped they would be.
"Ororo said it was some kind of poison. What happened?" Emma said, tears dripping down her cheeks at the sight of Logan. The witch had always thought of her husband as being invincible but seeing him on the hospital bed made her half sick with worries.
"I'm afraid I have bad news. We haven't been able to find out what type of poison it is and until that happens, we can't find an antidote. Logan's organs have started to shut down," Hank said ever so gently, hoping that the witch would understand that Logan would be gone soon if they didn't figure out how to find an antidote to the mysterious poison.
"How long?" Emma asked with a raspy voice trying to fight the overwhelming sense of sorrow that crashed over her. Losing Logan would break her, the witch could feel the pain starting to spread through her heart at the thought of losing her husband that she adored so.
"Tomorrow night at the latest. If Logan didn't have the regenerative power, he would have died on the spot when he was injected," Hank said solemnly and watched how the witch broke down in tears. The large mutant embraced his friend tightly, the grief Emma was feeling was breaking his heart as well.
The heartbroken witch stood beside Logan's bed in the infirmary; it pained her to see him connected to all the hospital equipment and looking so helpless. Hank had informed her with great regret that there was nothing more he could do. How could someone so unique, so rare and strong fall because of poison?
The witch touched Logan's naked chest with gentleness as if she was afraid that the soft touch would somehow hurt him. The mutant's muscles were very visible just under the surface of the skin and the witch could not wrap her mind around the fact that her mate might not be alive for much longer.
Even professor Xavier seemed to have given up. They all looked as if they had given up before Logan was even dead. Emma knew she would never give up fighting while there was still breath left in Logan's body. Seeing him so weak was incredibly painful to her, all the dreams they shared for the future were a flicker away from disappearing.
Emma held Logan's hand while begging him to wake up, even as the talons of death gripped him tighter with every hour, the witch refused to let go.
Logan had too much to live for and Emma bit on the nail on her thumb deep in thought. The witch knew that there was nothing she could do; her competence in potions had been below average on a good day. She was more likely to kill Logan even faster by attempting to help him with some concoction.
There was only one person that could help her, Emma knew that but it was difficult for her to admit it to herself. The witch didn't look forward to begging for help, she dreaded it. Only for Logan would Emma reunite with the possible saviour of a dreadful situation. Finally, the witch sighed deeply, it had to be done and she had no time to spare.
"Hang in there Logan, I won't be long" Emma whispered into his ear praying that he would last until she would return. The witch kissed his cheek and looked at him for a moment as if to memorize the unconscious man on the bed. Emma swallowed back a sob, blinked her eyes as to clear the tears away and a determined look came over her face.
"Here goes nothing," Emma whispered as she disapparated from the infirmary.
The witch arrived at her destination in a narrow alley. It was early morning in that corner of the world. Emma knocked gently on the front door, knowing that the wizard's wards had already alerted him to her arrival.
As the front door opened slowly, Emma let out a nervous breath as she greeted the owner of the house.
"Hello Severus."
"Madam Snape. What a pleasure to meet you again," Severus said with his signature sarcastic drawl taunting her as he ushered the witch inside his home. Emma knew the visit wouldn't be easy, Severus would do his best to push her buttons and she had to try to be calm, no matter what he would say to antagonize her.
The wizard invited her into a small living room completely stuffed with books from floor to ceiling. Magic and muggle alike. Snape walked in after her and sat down carefully studying the nervous woman sitting opposite him. A house-elf appeared out of nowhere bringing tea and biscuits that Emma knew she wouldn't touch.
Emma was not quite sure how to tell the most guarded wizard ever that she needed him to help her. He looked indifferent but she knew better. All the years she had known him he never put his guard down, always expecting the unexpected and never trusting anyone.
"What do I owe the pleasure? I do believe it's not because you desired my company so," Severus said while stirring sugar into his tea and watching her with dark eyes. The witch looked terrible as if she had been crying for hours and her t-shirt showed a small bump that indeed verified what Dumbledore had told him. Emma Winter had married a mutant and was pregnant with their first child.
Honesty had been the best medicine when dealing with the ever-annoyed ex-husband of hers. The head of the house of Slytherin needed to know right away what happened, and in as little time as possible so they would have time to save Logan.
"I need your help," Emma finally said cringing at the winning glee in the wizard's eyes.
"What is it?" Severus asked coldly making her cringe. It would be a miracle if she would ever get him to help her and even if she did the price would be dear. Severus Snape did not do favours for anyone, especially for the most difficult witch he had ever had the displeasure of meeting.
"My husband is dying; they used some sort of poison to take him down. You are the only one who can help. Please Severus, help us," Emma begged, tears running down her face as she spoke to the dreaded potions master of Hogwarts.
"For someone so young, you certainly seem to enjoy being wed," Severus Snape said dryly and saw how the witch visibly flinched from his words as if he had physically struck her. Severus infuriated Emma beyond belief. He always had, the wizard knew exactly how to get under her skin and make her lose her temper. Usually, it happened in record time and she always regretted allowing him to rile her up.
"I'm through playing games with you Severus. You were my last chance..." Emma said coldly before standing up quickly. Emma eyed the unaffected wizard one last time with disdain before storming out of the living room.
His hand grabbed Emma's arm tightly and Severus turned her around with a hint of glee in his eyes being able to rile her up so quickly. It had always been delicious to see how the young witch simply couldn't contain her fiery temper when around him, it had given him much joy through the years to push her.
"Your temper always was very Gryffindor; I never understood your sorting" he chided her more for old time's sakes than anything else. Severus hadn't thought of Emma Winter as a student in a long while, she was young but had great potential that she had decided to squander by marrying some sort of mutant.
"Really Severus, after everything we have been through you fall back on that?" Emma said feeling despair creep into her voice. Time, Logan was running out of time. Her family was in danger and the witch didn't know what to do if Severus wouldn't help her.
"I have never asked you for anything, but this time I'm begging you," Emma muttered feeling the tears run down her face. The wizard studied her for a moment in silence until finally giving up and hissing at her.
"Stop that snivelling girl."
When Emma didn't answer, the wizard's face softened a bit but Severus was cautious to keep the mask he had so carefully developed over most of his life. Never would Emma Winter know just how much he respected her for how she had fought in the war for what was right.
"Life. For. A. Life." Severus spat emphasizing every word and each syllable, reminding her that after this he would owe her nothing. They could continue to ignore each other until the end of time without feeling indebted to each other in any way.
Emma nodded enthusiastically in agreement with the wizard's suggestion. She had never thought to collect any favour from the potions master, he had simply been her last and only hope. Severus looked at her warily, the witch looked way too happy with his suggestion and the wizard suspected that if they wouldn't leave in an instant he would be in danger of being hugged by the weepy witch.
"Give me a moment to prepare," Severus said curtly before he gathered every supply he had and shrunk it down into one bag. The wizard had heard that Emma had married a formidable mutant after a whirlwind romance. It seemed that the elusive witch had fallen deeply in love with someone that adored her, and the witch was expecting their first child.
No one came knocking on his door asking for a favour unless it was a matter of life or death. The potions master would never admit aloud that he would have helped Emma without much struggle, he thought it was better to keep up the façade of disgust.
"Shall we?" Severus said to his former wife as he walked into the hallway where Emma was waiting impatiently. His murky eyes studied the young witch intently as she fidgeted anxiously by the front door. Emma nodded eagerly and the odd couple walked out of the house. When they were at a safe distance from prying eyes, they linked arms and stood close together. It was not as a sign of affection but so Emma could apparate them to Xavier's in one piece.
A loud cracking sound sounded in the street as the odd couple vanished into thin air as if they had never been there.
"The poison is from a South American frog called P. terribilis," Severus said to the witch who stood by the potions master, her dark eyes looking where Severus was pointing.
"See the abrasions here?" Snape said, "and on his tongue?"
"Yes, I see," Emma said looking at the different colours that had formatted on Logan's skin and tongue. Her heartbeat sped up by the quick diagnosis by Snape, who indeed was a world-famous potions master. Many things could be said about Severus, but he had indeed picked the perfect profession where his talents could shine.
"I have never seen a person alive after being exposed to this particular poison. Usually, people die within seconds," Severus stated and saw that Emma was distracted, her fingers lovingly caressing her husband's face. The wizard had no idea why it annoyed him so much to see the clear affection that the witch had for the mutant, perhaps it was because he had never experienced such affection targeted towards himself. People tended to detest him and often such feelings were justified.
Severus Snape had no hero complex; he knew very well that he was the opposite of a hero. The true anti-hero. Someone who was thrust into a situation where he had to save people when he only wanted to save himself.
Emma Winter had always intrigued him. When she had been a student at Hogwarts, she had fought Severus ever since she was eleven years old. Usually, the wizard detested such rebellious nature but when Dumbledore told him who Emma's parents were that it had dawned on him. Emma Winter had the same disapproving, untamed nature as the Winter family had been known for. For centuries the Winter family had been prone to getting into trouble because of their wild nature and problems with authority.
When Severus had kept his word to Dumbledore and forced Emma to wed him, the potions master knew it would be difficult and it certainly was challenging. In time the wizard grew to have a soft spot for the headstrong witch, even though he would never admit it aloud to anyone, especially not to the dark-eyed witch that was distraught over her husband.
The potions master worked for hours on the antidote. From the little that Emma had told him about her husband, the mutant seemed to have many characteristics in common with the witch. It shouldn't have surprised him that Emma Winter had befriended an outsider as she had always been one herself. Logan, her husband, seemed to have even more of a disregard for rules and authority than the witch. It had been logical that the witch had found shelter in someone even wilder than herself.
The wizard could only hope that their child would take after her father's side of the family so he wouldn't have to deal with the child of Emma Winter in a few years, the wizard wasn't sure that he could handle another wild Slytherin.
After preparing the antidote it was finally time to administer it to the mutant, Logan's health had deteriorated with each hour and Emma felt the desperation eat at her heart.
"You want to do the honours?" Snape asked sarcastically at how anxious the witch had been since the potion had started brewing.
"No, I think it's better that you do it. I might break the vial," Emma said hesitantly, she didn't want to do anything to jinx it. The witch was known for her reluctance when it came to potions and the wizard rolled his eyes dramatically at Emma's hesitance.
"Indeed," Severus snarled aggravated. Emma was correct that she was clumsy but for the life of him, Severus could not fathom what could happen to the antidote in the two steps she had to take to reach her husband.
Severus took the vial and walked to the hospital bed. The man, Logan, had deteriorated quickly in the last hour. The mutant's breathing was shallow, and his pulse was almost non-existent. The tell-tale sign of death was the very greyish hue that had come over his face and body. Simply put, Logan looked as if he was about to expire.
"Right, here we go," Snape said nodding to Emma who tilted Logan's head upwards and finally opening his mouth with shaking fingers. The wizard poured the liquid in the man's mouth and Emma shut Logan's mouth immediately so the antidote wouldn't leak out of his mouth. Every single drop was precious and needed to get into his system.
"Hold his head like this for a moment, the antidote will trickle slowly down his throat," Severus said in a tired tone before cleaning his utensils and vials with a quick flick of his wand.
"What now Severus? What will we do now?" Emma asked worried trying to hide her growing anxiousness to no avail. The witch had never been famous for her patience and it was one of the reasons why she would never excel at potions.
"Now we wait," Severus said with the stoic patience of one that had to wait for things all his life. The potions master went back to putting his things away and giving himself a moment to think what to do if the antidote wouldn't work.
"Severus," Emma called out shrilly half an hour later.
The potions master stepped quickly to where Emma was hovering over a screen reading the muggle equipment for the mutant's vitals.
"Look, his heart is beating stronger," Emma said beaming at the potions master who had never seen the young witch look so happy. Her dark eyes twinkled with hope and Severus Snape realised that he had never seen so much joy coming from the witch.
"Your husband looks better," Severus concurred after taking a quick look at Logan. The wizard always relied on his senses when assessing patients, muggle equipment was good, but nothing could replace the senses of a highly-skilled potions master.
"The grey hue has left him," Emma said before stroking Logan's cheek lovingly, "he is also warmer to the touch."
"The antidote is working. I don't know when he will wake up, but I'm leaving," Severus Snape said. The wizard had done what he set out to do and he saw no reason for him to play nursemaid to a man he had no idea who was. Emma was more than capable of tending to her husband's needs until he would wake up.
"Leaving?" Emma asked alarmed, her eyes wide as she gazed at the wizard who had packed all his things and seemed ready to disapparate.
"I'm touched that you enjoy my company so, a far cry from the time we were wed," Severus said and enjoyed seeing the witch flush brightly when reminded of the past. Whatever the mutant had done to help the witch had worked, she was no longer afraid of her past, even the most awkward moments.
"What shall I do when he wakes up?" Emma asked, knowing that she could completely rely on the judgement of the potions master when it came to Logan coming back to life.
"Give him a pepper up potion after he regains consciousness. Logan will need a dreamless sleep potion to make sure that he will sleep the first three nights. He will have to recharge and allow his body to heal, even though he's a mutant." Snape said handing her the vials she needed, and she put them on a desk close by for easy access.
"He has to be bedridden for three days at least. If he's anything like you then it will be a challenge for you to convince him to rest," Severus said dryly, and the witch grinned in agreement. There was no way she could force Logan to stay in the infirmary if he was conscious. They were set to leave, and the witch knew that her husband was a force of nature when he had decided something.
"Can I come calling if something goes wrong?" Emma asked and the wizard looked at her shocked. A year ago Emma Winter would rather have chosen to be eaten by a dragon than to come willingly to the door of the head of Slytherin.
"Your husband will be fine, but if you miss me you are more than welcome," Snape said ironically getting a cold stare from the witch as a reward. Both of them knew that Emma Winter would never come over for a cup of tea to discuss the weather, it was not in her being.
"Remember our deal, tabula rasa," Severus said reminding her that they now had a clean slate; a fresh start as if they had just met. Everything that had happened in the past was now erased and couldn't be used as a weapon against each other. Neither of them owed the other anything, it was for the best.
Emma looked at him surprised that he would even suggest that she forgot his condition for coming with her to Xavier's. Then she realized that he was just making sure that she wasn't trying to weasel out of a done deal. A deal was a deal and should be respected.
"Of course Severus, tabula rasa," Emma agreed, smiling at the difficult wizard who had saved her beloved husband from certain death. The witch took his rough hands in hers and squeezed tightly for a moment before letting Severus go.
Snape put his large black cloak on and said, "you should return to our world. The Defence Against the Dark Arts position stands open."
"I thought you wanted that position?" Emma asked surprised that Severus hadn't taken the job.
"That position has been cursed ever since Voldemort tried to get it back in the day. It has been a one-year position ever since then. If you remember, I already had my year. I will continue as head of Slytherin and as potions master."
"and what a talented one you are," Emma said affectionately realizing quickly that Severus Snape didn't like to be flattered one bit even if she was merely telling the truth.
"Let's not go overboard with the pleasant gestures, it feels wrong for two Slytherins to be too chummy," Severus Snape said his eyes flicker swiftly with something very close to amusement.
"I bid you farewell Madam Winter," Severus said tilting his head in a farewell a moment before he disapparated back home.
"Goodbye Severus" Emma said smiling and knowing that the wizard hadn't heard her. The witch knew that the two would never be considered friends, but the worst was over. They had sorted out their differences by letting go of the past, a clean slate was the best thing that could happen to them.
The witch looked down at Logan and kissed his forehead tenderly. Emma was overjoyed that he was looking better. Severus had said that Logan might sleep for a while, and Emma decided to use the opportunity to let Hank know that Logan's health had taken a turn for the better.